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Abbott Holds Lead Over Hinojosa as Texas Governor Race Tightens

Narrowing polls alongside a formal bilingual debate invitation could reshape the fall campaign.

Overview

  • Recent polls, including a New York Times/Siena survey from June 19–27 and a RealClearPolitics average covering late April–June, show Gov. Greg Abbott ahead by roughly seven to nine points over Gina Hinojosa.
  • Hinojosa formally invited Abbott to a one-hour televised, bilingual debate on October 15 in Fort Worth organized by NBCUniversal and Hearst and Abbott’s campaign has not publicly accepted the invitation.
  • Hinojosa is running on a platform that centers the economy, public education and health care while accusing Abbott of using culture-war issues to distract from donor-friendly contracts and underfunded services.
  • Abbott is campaigning on property-tax relief proposals that include eliminating school property taxes for homeowners, limiting local spending, and requiring two-thirds voter approval for future tax increases.
  • The outcome will matter nationally because Texas is the second-most-populous state and the race moves toward the October voter-registration deadline, the Oct. 19–30 early-voting window, and the Nov. 3 general election.